Market systems programmes are increasingly encompassing women’s economic empowerment. Such programmes often aim to increase women’s access to opportunities, but with little consideration of how gender norms or roles and responsibilities in the household and the community can undermine both development outcomes and market activities.

This webinar brings together findings from two BEAM-supported research projects to answer the questions:

How do market systems programmes currently understand and tackle gendered social norms?

Erin Markel will answer the question of how gendered social norms influence women’s economic empowerment, and what practical lessons might be learnt from a series of case studies recently completed. Mar Maestre, will offer an analysis of the connections between market systems programmes and care, along with guidelines, tools and examples, from ongoing programmes. And Thalia Kidder will reflect on the relevance of these topics for practitioners.

Erin is a Principal Consultant at MarketShare Associates (MSA), where she specialises in designing, implementing, monitoring and evaluating market systems programming with a focus on the empowerment of women and youth. Mar is an international development researcher at the Institute of Development Studies (IDS) and practitioner with a focus on private sector, market systems and development. Thalia currently leads Oxfam's work on women's economic empowerment and care including developing the Rapid Care Analysis exercises for development programmes and advocacy.